Custom Landscape Designs by Jodie Munshaw CLD

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Monthly Archives: April 2011

After sitting inside for months looking outside at the garden, I was happy to finally get outside and have a walk around the garden.

Now, the first thing I had to check was the state of the plants I knew the local rabbits had snacked on over the winter, unfortunately the damage was far worse than I had imagined. The rabbits ate a total of a Dwarf Serbian Spruce, 5 Carpet Roses and a pink Spiarea that was cleverly hiding the A/C. I was sure the buggers had gotten into the bulbs as well but I see the Crocus’ are finally starting to poke through. So to stop Mr Rabbit (and likely the Easter Bunny) from visiting the garden, a quick visit to the garden centre to purchase some Critter Ritter and I haven’t seen one yet!

So once I had surveyed the damage I started walking through the rest of the garden and I could see signs of spring! Perennials poking through, buds on the Hydrangeas, weeds already starting where mulch didnt make it and lots and lots of cleaning to do!

As I closed my eyes on the mess that was before me, I remembered how crazy last years garden was! Everything grew like crazy and I had tried some new plants in some new places – some successfully, some not. So in addition to cleaning up the garden there is lots of splitting and transplanting to do! Not to mention pruning and fertilizing.

So now I am waiting for the weather to change, making my list of what I need to pick up at the garden center and creating my wish list of new plants to try in the garden for this season. The longer Mother Nature takes to cooperate the longer the list grows though – this *could* be a bad thing!

Now that spring is here I am noticing all our feathered friends are back. The Blue Jays are out flying in the trees (and playing a mean game of baseball!). The Chickadees love sitting in the Beech tree we planted last fall. And our old friend the Cardinal is making his daily appearance pecking at the window every morning at7am!

As I sat watching all this excitement the other day it dawned on me that we really should have a birdfeeder. This is the perfect place to attract birds – next to a woodlot, seconds from the lake…and there are already lots of birds who pay a visit, so off to Lowes in search of birdseed.

Now anyone who has bought birdseed knows that half of the birdseed out there sounds and looks like trailmix you might take on your next hike, so we settled on some that was designed for the type of birds mentioned above. Now, not looking at the birdfeeder that was currently taking up residence on a shelf in the basement, off we went without thinking twice. Of course, you know where this story goes – wrong seed for the feeder and now the pursuit for the “perfect” birdfeeder is underway.

So with birdfeeders constantly on my mind, and one of the questions I am always asking my clients is whether or not they want to attract birds to their garden, I thought I would add some quick tips about bird gardening.

1) If you feed the birds, feed them year round. Just like your kids, the birds are hungry in all seasons. You wouldn’t just feed your kids in the winter and leave them scrounging for food in the summer would you?

2) Don’t feed the birds bread! Unlike the nutritional value bread gives us it does not do the same for birds. Bread also swells up in the bellies of our feathered and can make them very sick. Instead of feeding the birds your leftover bread – feed your greenbox!

3) If you are going to make a point of bringing birds to your garden, provide water. This can be done by way of a birdbath or fountain. Just remember to not to leave standing water as this can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

4) Plant clusters or groups (rather than just “one of”) of trees, shrubs and flowers that will bring birds into your garden. Using native species will help encourage birds to come into your garden as these are plants that would normally be found in the wild.

5) Examples of plants to plant in your garden

Berryproducing shrubs such as Viburnum, Dogwood, Holly, Serviceberry

Seed producing perennials such as Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflower, Asters and various Ornamental Grasses

Sunflowers can also be ideal in a bird garden and fun to grow every year (especially with children). Although, if you grow Sunflowers one year, be prepared to see them the next year from the seeds being dropped by your feathered friends!

This is by no means a complete list of plants that you can include in a bird garden but should help set you in the right direction. Watching the birds as they visit your garden can be enjoyable and educational. Just remember to keep your feeders and birdhouses out of reach of any predators!

For help with planning your bird garden, email me to book a landscape consultation!